"The story of my weight loss"

I'm going to give you a brief background of my past, before I tell you what almost ended my life and how I managed to save it.

Since the age of 6 I've had a weight problem all my life. I was bullied throughout school and my confidence repeatedly fell. After school I went to college for a short time but dropped out due to developing anxiety and depression after a night out. My life soon picked up when I found myself a job which I ended up losing around the summer time of 2013.

My Grandma passed away a couple of months after this and I fell into a pit of despair, blowing all my money down at the pub, drinking upwards of 10 pints a night, four or five nights a week. Not only did this leave me in a difficult place financially, it also left me with a huge problem which was only getting worse - my weight.

Last year at hull fair I decided to go on a ride with a few friends but as the harness was closing I was told I was too fat to get on the ride and had to get off whilst everyone pointed and laughed at me. It must've been 100+ people. I got my refund and swallowed my sadness in a double cheeseburger and more alcohol. I tried my best to pretend I didn't care but just by looking my friends in the eye I knew that they knew how I was feeling.

Throughout November 2013 I stayed in my room most of the time drinking myself into a stupid state and ordering take away every night. I even resorted to selling my phone and most of my computer games to feed this habit. I often took my shirt off, looked at what I'd done to myself in the mirror and just lay down with tears in my eyes wishing everything would end. One night I contemplated and almost went through with taking my life and that's when I knew it was literally do or die. Anyone can start losing weight in the new year, just putting it off again and again but I was so depressed I felt I couldn't bare to live.

I took immediate action and started seeking help, which is when I stumbled across a leaflet for Why Weight? at the local doctors. The requirements to join were 18+ and you had to have a BMI of at least 25 and since mine was closing in on 40, AND the course was FREE, I didn't hesitate and rang them the same evening.

Before I joined I was weighing in at nearly 20 stone, I'm surprised the scales didn't eventually start saying "one person at a time please. "

I'm currently still trying to lose weight and get a desirable body and I keep closing in on my major goal of 14 stone steadily week by week. As of my last weighing session I now weigh in at 2lbs over 15 stone.

What has really kept me going is the amazing support from some amazing people who also attend Why Weight? All of my friends and family but most of all, when I look in the mirror, instead of seeing a big fat ugly ogre. I'm starting to see a man with hopes, dreams, ambitions and hopefully soon the body of an athlete.

It just really goes to show. The difference a few months of effort and dedication can make can be life changing.